As the summer of 2024 draws close, Season 3 of “Bel -Air” debuts on Peacock. The new season picks up a month after Season 2’s finale events when Will (Jabari Banks) inquired to Lisa (Simone Joy Jones) about summers in Bel Air. The audience is immediately plunged into the fun
Uncle Phil (Adrian Holmes) and Aunt Vivian (Cassandra Freeman) continue to thrive in their professional lives despite their middle son Carlton (Olly Sholotan) spending the last month in rehab. The Banks daughters are also flourishing. Hilary (Coco Jones) finds herself amid a whirlwind romance with LaMarcus (Justin Cornwell), and Ashley (Akira Akbar) is coming into her own. Meanwhile, the Banks’ house manager, Geoffrey, and Will’s right-hand man, Jazz (Jordan L. Jones), are embroiled in their storylines, which carry over from the latter half of Season 2. The growth of these characters is a testament to the show’s ability to keep the audience invested in their journey.
The first three episodes of Season 3 of “Bel Air” put the season off to the right track. One of the things that caught my eye was the handling of Will’s arc. Banks continues to be a breakout star, giving Will a sense of authenticity as he becomes a man. While I wish the trailers hadn’t revealed the return of Marlon Wayans as Will’s estranged father, Lou, kudos to the writers for their angle regarding their relationship.
Similar to Banks, Olly Sultan continues to shine as Carlton. Sultans take on Carlton this year tons down the arrogance, and we see him build a brotherhood with Will and finally get a decent love interest, Amia (Alycia Pascual-Peña). Veteran actors Adrian Holmes and Cassandra Freeman also bring authenticity to Viv and Phil, who work through personal and professional stresses. It will be interesting to see where this season takes them. I will say that I wasn’t mainly sold on the arcs for Hilary and Ashley in the first three episodes, but I think I have an idea of where both characters are going, and I may reevaluate after seeing the entire season.
Outside of Will and Carlton, my favorite characters on the reboot are still Jeffrey and Jazz. Jimmy Akingbola brings a no-nonsense vibe to the house manager, and I’m looking forward to learning more about his backstory over the coming while. As for Jazz, Jordan L. Jones has an everyman approach that you want to root for. The enjoyable interactions between these characters add a layer of entertainment to the show. Regarding the new characters for the season, businessman Quentin (Vic Mensa), who plays a part in Will and Carlton’s arc, stuck out the most.
Showrunner Carla Banks Waddles continues to steer the show in its direction, and I eagerly anticipate seeing where the rest of the season goes
Final Grade: B+
The first three episodes of Bel-Air’s third season arrive on Peacock, Thursday, August 15th.
You know the voice. The moment Michael Marshall starts singing the hook in Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It,” anyone who grew up in the nineties knows exactly what time it is. However, nearly a decade before that 1995 hip-hop classic, Marshall was already responsible for another instantly recognizable vocal.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.
Gwen Stefani had already established herself as a significant force with No Doubt when she released her debut solo album, *Love. Angel. Music. Baby* in 2004. This week, while my iPod was on shuffle, one of my favorite songs from that project, “The Real Thing,” came on. Although the original version has an upbeat new-wave feel, the Slow Jam Mix takes it to another level and is the perfect choice for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.